


what tips the scales

by laikaspeaks



Series: for all of the sparks that I stomped out [1]
Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Child Abuse, F/F, Glimmer is kinda gay for Adora, Universe Alteration, adora is robin hood basically, in fairness everyone is gay for adora
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-03
Updated: 2019-07-22
Packaged: 2019-09-06 01:41:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16822561
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/laikaspeaks/pseuds/laikaspeaks
Summary: In another world Adora made a desperate gamble to save Catra's soul. A gamble that paid off in nearly a decade-long reprieve from the Horde, the Rebellion, and their endless war. When a twist of fate puts She-ra's sword in her path, Adora finds herself trapped between serving the greater good and sacrificing her hard-won freedom. The choice was always hers alone, but it's harder when she actually has something to lose.





	1. The Deserters

“Are you okay, Bow?” Glimmer called over her shoulder, desperately wishing she could turn around and check on him, make sure he was okay and hug him so tight that they both forgot everything that went wrong today. The ropes around her wrists chafed even though they were more of a formality. The spear pressed between her shoulder blades was the real issue here. “Bow! Answer me!”  
  
“Shut it, prisoner!” The Horde soldier whipped the end of her spear across Glimmer’s back, and Glimmer couldn’t hold back a yelp. She rarely had to take a hit, but the image of Bow with his wide, terrified eyes and the knife tight against his throat was enough to hold back the instinct to bolt.  
  
“I’m okay Glimmer,” came the tense answer, which made the pain absolutely worth it. All her training was screaming that trading a princess for one boy would be painfully stupid. But that boy was Bow. He was her best friend.  
  
“It’s going to be alright Bow, it’s -”  
  
“Both of you shut up!” Another sharp whap against Glimmer’s side that made her stumble into a tree. The blow left throbbing pain in its wake and stars sputtered to life behind her eyes when she breathed too deeply.

"You're being too rough," One of them said quietly, "the captain won't like that."

"Did I _ask_ your opinion?"

Glimmer almost wished they would stab her, if only to escape the squabbling. What should have been a simple mission to retrieve some First One tech had turned into a nightmare. Glimmer mentally shook herself, trying to stave off the panic that started brewing since their capture. She had to hold it together! When they escaped any information she took back to the rebellion could make a difference. Whatever the Horde was up to it couldn’t be anything good. She needed to take stock of everything.  
  
So: Of the three soldiers one was a chunky, muscular boy who might present a minor challenge if he had any backbone. A lanky, underfed girl with hard eyes seemed to lead the party, with a scrawny, silent kid with wild dark hair as her second shadow. They would be absolutely no threat if it weren’t for the fact that they got lucky in an ill-planned ambush. If they hadn’t managed to capture Bow. That was probably because all three of them were absolutely caked in mud and leaves, thoroughly obscuring their red horde uniforms. She could barely make them out even an arm's length away.  
  
Glimmer did her best to remember the path they were taking as well, but she hoped that Bow was doing the same. She could remember the layout of a single battlefield with about 95% success - it would be dangerous if she teleported into a wall after all - but recalling large swaths of terrain was difficult. She didn’t have Bow’s gift for that.  
  
As they walked Glimmer could guess they were heading deeper into the unsettled wilds of the Whispering Woods, where the trees grew thick and snarled, with little footpaths trod into earth by animals the only way through the underbrush. Overhead vines, branches and flowers tangled so sunlight diffused to a green glow. It was hard to imagine a Horde outpost here, for the simple reason that the trees were still standing. Anywhere the Horde went all the trees were hewn to the ground and even the animals and water tainted beyond use. Warped by magic or strange chemicals - it didn’t matter in the end.

She picked up only a few snippets of information from their captors: the skinny girl who was too free with her spear was Riker, and the large, gentle boy was Dram. The smaller one they didn’t name, and only responded in nods and murmurs when addressed.

Just as Glimmer was starting to think they were never going to get there, they squeezed between tree trunks and into a clearing. Massive tree trunks held a matted foliage ceiling high enough overhead that it gave the illusion of openness. Like the great hall back home if it were a dozen times bigger and made of living trees. As Glimmer’s eyes adjusted she couldn’t hold back a gasp.  
  
A crystal structure almost as tall as Bright Moon’s tallest spire dominated the center of the clearing. Cobbled-together structures huddled at the base, and as they neared she could pick out fragments of Horde cruisers and tanks integrated into the buildings. A few cruisers swayed in the trees above, connected by a fragile network of bridges to a platform mounted to the top of the central crystal. Like the coolest secret fort from a child’s daydreams.  
  
And there was a reason, she realized with dawning confusion. The faces that peered from doors and windows were all painfully young, only a handful were even the same age as Glimmer herself.

Riker waved her spear at another girl lying on the low outer wall. She straightened, and Glimmer got an impression of shaggy hair and a slowly twisting tail.

“Hey, we caught some intruders! Alert the captain!”  
  
“She’s already on her way, squirt,” the catlike girl stretched luxuriously and flopped over to face them, propping her cheek on her hand so she could glare at them with irritable, mismatched eyes. “Half the town already knows you’re here.”

“Don’t call me that, Catra." Riker hissed, but it only made Catra chuckle. 

Glimmer didn't like it a bit when Catra's gaze shifted to one of the larger huts and smirked. “Here she comes, kids.”

She found herself waiting with bated breath for the door to open.  
  
Glimmer didn’t know what she expected. Definitely not a girl her own age. A girl wearing bits and pieces of Horde uniform - the high-collared white shirt and plain trousers of a cadet, the high red boots of a lieutenant, and an oversized red Force Captain jacket draped over her shoulders like it was the mantle of a princess. She flashed the guards at either of Glimmer’s elbows a pleasant smile, warm enough that it was jarring in context. Then her gaze shifted to Glimmer so sharply that it made her heart leap to her throat.  
  
“I see we have… guests. Why are they here?”  
  
“Guests? We were kidnapped at knifepoint!” Glimmer jerked her head in the direction of Bow standing carefully still in her peripheral. She could see the flash of the knife pressed against his throat. “We’re peaceful travelers, we don’t even want to be here!”  
  
The girl didn’t respond.  
  
Glimmer bristled. So she wasn’t even worth telling to shut up? Coddled, patronized, even mocked, she’d endured all at some point or another, but Glimmer wasn’t used to being ignored. It made angry heat flood behind her eyes, heavy and cloying. “Hey, did you even hear me?”  
  
The girl had her eyes on the soldiers, who shifted and fidgeted like little kids who expected praise and realized they were getting a scolding instead. It reminded Glimmer of her own mother, which was a comparison she never expected to make. That stillness and utter focus, like a storm building on the horizon.  
  
“You three are new, did you forget the rules?”  
  
“U-uh, we were supposed to - um, only engage if an outsider is heading toward camp?” Glimmer wasn’t sure what to do with a muscle-bound boy a head taller than herself wilting under the “captain’s” gaze.  
  
The captain drew close, and the boy flinched when she lifted her hand... and relaxed when she placed it gently on his shoulder. Even from here Glimmer could see the hero worship dawning in his eyes.  
  
“We try to hide first, scare them off second, and capture is only as a last resort. Remember that _we aren’t the Horde_. We aren’t at war here.” Blue eyes settled on each of the soldiers in turn. “Please get back to your patrol and I’ll take care of our guests.”  
  
Riker tensed. “But captain, she’s a -”  
  
_“That wasn’t a suggestion, Riker.”_  
  
They released her and scrambled off at the captain’s tone, and Glimmer tensed in preparation to make a run for Bow. Then the girl turned to her with that smile, that unexpected softness. “I’m so sorry that this happened. Some of us take a while to learn how to act like people again. Are you okay?”  
  
“I’ve been better.” Bow said weakly, taking Glimmer’s hand in his and she was pathetically grateful for the comfort.

 _No I’m not okay!_ She wanted to shout.  
  
That steady, pale blue gaze made Glimmer flush with frustration and shame, both heavy and all-too familiar in her gut. The impulse felt suddenly childish, and it was more clear standing next this girl with the eyes of a warrior.  
  
“Glimmer, of Bright Moon.” Glimmer offered her hand hesitantly. “And this is Bow, he’s my best friend.”  
  
The girl’s smile widened as she clasped Glimmer’s forearm in greeting.  
  
“Adora.”


	2. Jailbreak

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning: Physical abuse of a minor in the form of restraint, suffocation, and gaslighting villainous monologues.

Catra stood at perfect, pallid attention, outlined in the shadow-red power that held her completely immobile. Her wide eyes flickered with the light of the Black Garnet. She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think, would claw right out of her skin for the chance to get away get away get away

She couldn’t remember how long she had been standing there, aching and thirsty and hungry, drifting in and out of consciousness but not daring to sleep. She didn't even remember what she did to deserve this, but it didn't actually matter in the end. The punishment was the same whether she deserved it or not.

“You should have shown me more respect, cadet.” Shadow Weaver was there suddenly, and Catra’s mind was fully awake for the first time in what felt like days.

Shadow Weaver shook her head and clicked her tongue, as if this were a caring scolding. A hand slid down Catra’s cheek and down to her pulse, where a clawed thumb dug against her jugular. There was a tiny increase in pressure, and Catra felt the familiar sting, smelled the copper of her own blood. She couldn’t hold back a terrified whimper. She was twelve - maybe twelve - and she wasn't ready to die. It always felt like this time she was going to die.

Shadow Weaver had no mercy. If anything she tilted her head at the familiar angle that Catra knew was amusement. She circled around Catra like an enemy combatant, and every ounce of Catra’s training screamed for her to turn and follow the motion, to protect her vulnerable back… but she couldn’t. All she could do was tremble when a hand settled around her throat and exerted slowly increasing pressure.

"What will poor Adora do when I reach the end of my patience?” Her tormentor murmured from behind her, a threat and a promise all in one. “Do you think she will remember you at all? Surely she has better -”

There was frantic pounding at the door, and half a dozen voices shouting Shadow Weaver’s name. “Fire! There’s a fire, a fire in the cadet quarters!”

Shadow Weaver hissed, and in her peripheral vision Catra caught a glimpse of shadowy tendrils retreating back into Shadow Weaver’s robes. The magic vanished and Catra fell to her knees, only just catching herself before she could topple on her face.

“Stand up, girl. I expect you to be _at attention_ when I return.”

Catra staggered to her feet and stood straight as she could manage. Darkness faded in and out of her vision, but each time she fought it back. The smell of smoke got stronger and stronger, enough that it made Catra’s nose sting and her eyes water.

“I can’t believe that worked. Kyle is a little too good at this.”

“Adora!” Catra spun to face the other girl standing in the open door. There were no words for the feeling that suddenly welled up in her chest, like Shadow Weaver’s tendrils were squeezing her heart to a pulp. “Adora you can’t - you can’t be here, you have to leave before -”

Adora flashed that gap-toothed smile and it was the best and worst thing Catra had ever seen in her entire life. “You’re gonna be okay now. I promise.”

A distant _pop_ , and the smell of smoke got stronger and more acrid, like when a fuel line broke and hit a hot engine. Adora started and abruptly thrust her hand out. “Come with me, Catra. We’re getting out of here.”

In another world, in another life, Adora tried this in much the same circumstances. Two girls wreathed in smoke, their entire lives hanging in the balance.

In this world Catra took her hand. “Let’s go.”

It didn’t even matter where they were going, or whether they had a plan. This she knew with a child’s conviction: as long as they were together they could do anything. If there was a scrap of truth in the entire Fright Zone it was in their promise to each other.

“That makes this easier,” Adora sighed in relief. She scooped Catra up as easily as anything (which Catra still thought was totally unfair) and settled Catra on her back, guiding Catra’s hands to grip her shoulders.

“Hey - wait, I can walk -”

“It’s all part of the plan Catra. Trust me?”

Catra had never really seen Adora lie. Maybe it was just that she didn’t know Adora could, and so hadn’t noticed. Every person they passed in the hallway got a different answer to why Adora was carrying Catra around - a twisted ankle fleeing from the fire, a head injury, smog dizziness - all with that same smile. Sweet-natured Adora who everyone liked and trusted despite the competitive nature of the horde. She wasn’t much of a schemer of course, always transparent. Wore every emotion on her sleeve.

Or so they all thought.

They finally reached the skydocks after climbing up a flight of stairs that had even Adora wheezing. Though that was probably more because she refused to put Catra down after she fell over the first time.

“So how are we going to get out of here? Do you have a ride?”

“Something like that.”

Adora waved an arm frantically. Nothing.

“Hey, guys! Get down here, we’re running out of time!”

One of the solar ships broke off from its moorings and drew closer in little spurts of speed. Kyle was driving. _Why was Kyle driving?_

“We’re gonna have to pull you up, Kyle doesn’t know how to dock this thing yet.” Lonnie’s voice came from above.

Rogelio and Lonnie peered over the side of the deck, looking pleased enough with themselves that Catra was half tempted to go back and take her chances with Shadow Weaver. Adora she trusted with her life. These guys? Not so much.

As it drew closer to the dock Catra got a better look at their ride, and that was another mark against this plan.

The little scouting skiff had big scrapes down both sides and the faded serial number on the back meant it was probably like, three times older than Catra at least. Catra could immediately see why the others were able to get it out of the hanger at all. Parts of the sails were for a much newer ship. They were going to escape into the princess-infested wilderness in a repurposed training ship? Had Adora lost her _mind?_

“Good job, guys! Help me get Catra up there? She’s too heavy.”

“Tie the rope around her.” Lonnie called down. “We’ll have Roge’ pull her up.”

Adora was quickly at work tying the rope into a loop around Catra’s waist and under her legs, forming a sort of seat. The only thing keeping Catra on her feet was the adrenaline pumping through her veins, and Adora must have sensed it.

“Both hands on the rope,” Adora said gently, prying Catra’s hands out of her uniform jacket and arranging Catra’s grip on the rope. “I’ll be coming right after you okay?”

“You better not keep me waiting.”

“When have I ever?”

She held onto Catra’s hand until she was forced to let go, but Adora’s hand hovered in the air for a half second longer. Catra watched until Rogelio pulled her up over the edge. The second she was up, Lonnie’s hands were flying over her to undo the ropes.

Lonnie looped the end of the rope more securely around her arm and threw it over the side again. “Get up here, Adora.”

Boom. The air itself vibrated with a distant impact.

That was about when the sirens started. The panic lights painted the dark streets below and the low-hanging clouds above in flashing red. From up here Catra could see the massive plume of smoke stretching up to the sky. _What the hell did Kyle do?_

“Shit!”

Catra whipped around in time to see Lonnie slide to the edge of the deck and nearly get pulled over. The rope was so tight around her forearm that her skin grew pallid under the pressure, her hand huge and swollen red. It was a stupid, rookie mistake. They were always supposed to use an anchor point, always. “Stupid-fucking-shitting-ouch that hurts, _that hurts_.”

Catra dove to look over the edge, and she and Adora saw the threat at the same time. There was a footsoldier clinging to the rope only a few few below Adora, and there were more on the way.

“Adora, look out!” Catra felt Rogelio catch her around the waist, and that was exactly when Catra realized she was about to dive over the side without even thinking about it.

His grip didn’t falter against her struggles, even when she jammed her clawed feet against his tough scales. Rogelio slung Catra over his shoulder like a sack of flour and used his free hand to grip the rope. It wasn’t enough to free Lonnie’s arm, but at least it reduced the screaming to a shriek between Lonnie's clenched teeth.

“Kyle, pull up!” Lonnie barked at the trembling boy at the wheel, bracing her foot against the rail. Her face contorted, but she didn’t falter. “Be quick about it you fucking nerd!” 

“Yeah - yeah I got it, Lonnie. I got it!”

He yanked back on the steering column and the ship rocketed upward. Catra heard Adora scream, and the guard shouting. Then the loud, sickening crack of a body hitting the ground.

“Adora!”

A blonde head popped over the side of the deck. “I’m here.”

Catra and Rogelio wasted no time in dragging Adora over the side, and then Adora was hugging her so tight that it made Catra’s ribs ache.

She could almost hear Lonnie rolling her eyes. “You guys are gonna make me sick.”

Rogelio, for his part, patted them each awkwardly on the top of the head. It was a rare kindness from him, and Catra was just relieved enough to allow it. They were sailing up and up, bursting through the foul-smelling clouds. Catra blinked the light out of her eyes and for the first time in years saw the searing blue sky, felt the sun beating on her face. They were free.

“Well, where to _captain_?” It was only mostly sarcastic which was a feat for Lonnie. She tugged them to their feet with an expression that said she really was done with this display of emotion. Like she didn’t give in and smack them each on the shoulders before she let go. “You’re the mastermind here.”

Rodegio nodded, and Kyle was already watching Adora with nervous anticipation. Catra followed suit, and for the first time saw Adora under something under than the Fright Zone's pallid lamps. She was all golden, her upturned eyes little chips of blue stolen from the sky. She smiled and Catra’s heart did a weird flip-flop.

Adora took a deep breath like she did before a sparring match, and let it out slowly. Probably because she knew how stupid she was about to sound. “There’s only one place we _can_ go: the whispering woods.”


	3. Glowing Things

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning for: giant spiders

“Kyle.”

Kyle shot out of his seat and to attention so quickly the tiny screwdriver he dropped was still rattling against the tabletop. Adora wondered if they were ever going to train him out of the habit.

“It’s just me," Adora sighed.

She gave him a pat on the shoulder to steady him and it was something to see the way he relaxed and flashed her a warm smile. “O-oh, what can I do for you, captain?”

“I need you to send relays out to all our contacts. None of them are to report in until we give the all-clear, got it? Especially our rebellion sources. If the Brightmoon princess recognizes them...”

His hands were already flying over his toolbox.

“Whatever you say, Adora. I’ll get the messages out, you can count on me! It’ll be done so fast that - uh -” He faltered under her amused smile, and flushed. “I’ll - um, I’ll get to work on that.”

“Great. And let Lonnie and Roge' that I won’t be back for… a few days, maybe? They’re in charge until Catra and me get back.”

“Got it, captain.”

Adora always had a bag ready to go, so it didn’t take much time to swing by her place in the barracks and make a beeline for their meeting-place with Glimmer and Bow. To be honest she was more surprised to see they were actually waiting for her there. But the reason quickly became apparent.

“Man, this thing still isn’t working.” Bow was smacking at the navigator in his hands, but even from here Adora could see there was nothing but static.

“A lot of electronics don’t work this close to the base.” Adora informed him, and had a very hard time keeping a straight face when he jumped at her voice. “You’ll have to wait until we get further away.”

On the other hand the set of Glimmer’s jaw and crossed arms nearly made Adora turn around and go back to the base.

“I don’t see why we need your help, ‘Captain’.”

The Brightmoon princess was awfully cute with all her pastel and sparkles. Yet that was far from a match for her personality. Adora could admit it didn’t exactly put her off, but it was deeply frustrating all the same.

“The two of you travelling alone in this part of the woods is a good way to die.” Adora reminded her patiently, trying to picture a pair of scared, angry cadets in their place. It made it easier to not take Glimmer’s anger personally. “We’ll escort you to your first one’s tech and take you to the nearest village, and after that you pretend we don’t exist. Just like we agreed.”

Bow patted Glimmer’s shoulder, and his quietly anxious expression was apparently enough to make the girl soften just a little. “They are right, Glimmer. I don’t even know how to get back from here.”

Catra chose that moment to appear. She probably came running when she felt the tension in the air.

“See, if we can all get along we’ll solve a lot of problems for everybody.” It was truly amazing how Catra managed to make that sound the exact opposite of sincere.

Catra bumped against Adora as she passed, her tail flicking down the inside of Adora’s arm in a familiar, quiet display of affection. “Keep up, captain. It’s going to take forever to get Twinkles here back to mommy already.”

“My name is Glimmer!”

“Sure thing, Glitter.” Catra winked at Adora over her shoulder.

It took everything in Adora not to giggle. It really did. Maybe making the potentially dangerous princess mad was a really bad plan, but - well it was a little funny. Catra could be so petty and somehow she always knew which buttons to push.

Adora and Catra guided the hapless pair deeper into the woods, following the narrow footpaths she and the others cut into the woods. They were disguised as animal trails as much as possible, which Adora felt was a stroke of genius on Rogelio and Lonnie’s part.

It took a long time for them to speak again, and of course it was Bow.

“So… like, how did you guys even get out here? Why are you the captain? You look the same age as Glimmer and me.” His voice dropped to a whisper, eyes as large as dinnerplates. “Did you have to kill somebody?”

“Uh -”

“Yeah she killed like, thirty bad guys. Trial by murder, that’s how we do it around here. She had to eat their brains.”

“Oh man, really?” Bow’s wide-eyed amazement had a hint of playfulness, like he knew well enough that it wasn’t true but fully intended to roll with whatever story Catra came up with.

Adora covered her face with her hand. _Why did Catra have to be like this?_ At least _they_ were getting along.

“That is _not_ what happened.” This was going to be such a headache. “The horde is… structured.”

Catra snorted.

Adora ignored that, because if Catra got started again they were never going to get this out of the way. “A lot of our new recruits have trouble with the transition. It’s better to ease them into it, and the best way to do that -”

“The best way to do that is having Adora play captain for all the kiddies back there.” Catra threw an arm over Adora’s shoulder and pinched her cheek, earning a sharp elbow to the ribs. “She makes the best mom.”

Of course she would phrase it like that. Heat flooded Adora’s face.

Catra smooshed a cheek against hers and giggled when Adora’s responding swat missed her head by a foot. She very nearly took off after Catra, but quickly remembered that they were with guests. Adora coughed into her hand in an attempt to ignore Glimmer and Bow staring like she’d grown two heads. It was hard to remember she should be the captain without the little ones tugging her along and keeping her focused.

It seemed like Catra was always making her forget.

The three of them got even quieter as they walked deeper into the darkest parts of the forest where even the deserters didn’t go. Bow’s tracker - finally working this far from the crystal clearing - didn’t falter at least.

The small space was a rough sphere of tangled brush, with little round tunnels branching off into the undergrowth like an animal nest. At the center was a gleaming sword wedged between two small boulders, with a vine growing up the blade and grasping upward to the thin beam sunlight that struck the makeshift pedestal. Even from here she could see it was still clean and sharp.

“There it is! Let’s -” Glimmer nearly ran into Adora’s outstretched arm. “What -”

“Shh!” Adora pressed a finger to her lips, then gestured for Glimmer to look more carefully.

Tucked up in the shadowy, bowed sides of the clearings were a dozen shapes sprawled here and there. Their sides rose and fell slowly, little flickers of blue light and hints of purple hide in the half-light.

“Raptors.” Adora said as quietly as she could.

Adora held her hand out to the side so that Catra could see her gesture with a flick of her hand, and knew without looking that Catra disappeared into the leaves with hardly a ripple.

She slowly removed her staff from her belt and snapped it open. Glimmer jumped at the low hum of the shock function powering up, but she only cast a brief glance at Adora before returning to watching the creatures in the clearing. Despite her loud suspicion she was too trusting by far, Adora noted.

“Ready? Set. Go.” Normally she didn’t even have to say it out loud, but that was for Bow and Glimmer’s benefit.

Adora darted between the trees. Stealth wasn’t her strength, but even she couldn’t run in head-on and hope to win.

“Adora… Adora wait up!” Glitter whispered between her teeth.

Once she reached roughly the middle of the clearning Adora stretched up as tall as she could head up, shoulders back - and roared as loudly as she could.

Over half the animals jolted upright and dashed into the undergrowth, letting out alarm calls as they passed. In the low light she caught glimpses of retreating panicked blue flashes. Just as she expected.

Unfortunately that left about six of them circling Adora, their heads tilting this way and that with predatory, birdlike curiosity. They were beautiful: all powerful musculature and bright hides in pink, purple, and dark, rich turquoise. Their markings covered their bodies in glowing, irregular blotches and stripes. The light pulsed with an aggressive rhythm, passing back and forth between them like some form of communication.

Adora whistled.

Catra shot out of the opposite side of the clearing with a roar of her own, and at the same moment Adora burst into action. A wild laugh bubbled out of her chest. It felt like so long since she got to use her weapon for its true purpose!

Together she and Catra were a whirl of motion, weaving around each other naturally as breathing. A practiced unit that took down one enemy after another. At one point they both took off running and used a log as a springboard - still in sync - and used the momentum to drive the end of their staffs into the largest raptor, crushing its trachea with the force. He went down thrashing and choking, and they took off again into the fray. Adrenaline raced through Adora’s veins, but at the same time she felt calm, focused. The world shrank down to this battlefield, this single goal.

This is what they were meant to be together, what the Horde would never let them become.

Then all was still again. The remaining raptors turned tail and disappeared into the trees, letting out alarm calls that told her there wouldn’t be any more coming. They were like alarm bells for the forest - if the raptors won, there would be all kinds of creatures descending on this clearing for their piece of the kill. But the raptors were running in terror, which meant that the majority of smaller predators would steer clear. If there was anything larger than that hanging around, they had bigger problems than finding some weird First One tech.

“Oh-ho-ho, man that was great, Adora. It’s been a while.” Catra’s smile had a sharp edge, a hint of fangs, which told Adora she would be getting pounced later. Not that she would protest in the slightest.

“It was fun.” She agreed quietly, flashing Catra an agreeable smile in return.

“We won, we won, victory for us!!” Bow and Glimmer were dancing around each other and chanting the same little victory song. More than a few of the fallen dinos were peppered with arrows and strange burns, so the celebration wasn’t unwarranted.

They had an odd softness that she didn’t understand, but it made her… want to protect it.

Catra nudged her in the side and lowered her voice. “You’re such a sucker, ‘Dora.”

Adora didn’t dignify that with an answer.

Instead she walked over to the supposed First One tech, grabbed it, and yanked it out of the stone. She didn’t know what she expected. Maybe a flash of light? Some kind of vision?

It balanced so perfectly in her hand she couldn’t resist giving a few test swings. Other than being exquisitely made and totally untouched by the elements there was nothing that marked it as special. It was just an ornate sword, the sort of thing a collector might hang on a wall.

**Adora.**

A tiny rumble shook the ground.

Bow slowly drew his weapon, his eyes trained on the ground. “Please tell me I imagined that.”

“I don't think you did,” Glimmer said breathlessly.

The ground rumbled under their feet, echoing with a half dozen shrieks. None of them reacted fast enough. It was like nails drawn over metal but so loud that it rattled through flesh and bone, startling the body into shock-stillness. It was enough of a pause for a massive head to break through the ground just between Glimmer and Adora - a spider bigger than a horde tank, with a silvery carapace and large eyes that glowed blue.

“Shit!” Catra was already halfway up a tree by the time Adora shook off the effects of the shriek.

“Glimmer, look out!” Bow nocked another arrow as soon as he loosed the first, but he was too late.

Glimmer smacked into a tree with a dry crack, a hastily-summoned glitter bomb fizzling out before she could put it to use.

Adora hefted the sword in her hand, her heart pounding on her mouth. Adrenaline hit her like a dizzying high, and she _roared_ \- and at the same moment she heard Catra do the same. It made Adora’s heart stop. Catra had flung herself from the tree. She was suspended in a sunbeam like a bug in amber, all teeth and claws and dark stripes against golden fur.

“Catra!”

Another swing sent her flying in the opposite direction, and Adora didn’t see where she fell.

**Adora. Adora.**

The world slowed down to crawl. More and more smaller spiders came bubbling out of the hole in the earth behind the first large one, their silvery carapaces and crawly legs blending together so that it was hard to tell them apart.

 **You’ve blocked my voice for too long. Etheria needs you, and we can wait no longer.** A powerful voice flickered in and out of her mind like static, but the words carried a command she couldn’t deny. **Awake, She-ra, princess of power!**

Years of nightmares came flooding into her head at once, carrying the words with them. “For the honor of Greyskull!”

The entire universe spun around Adora at a dizzying pace. She was tall as the trees, she was steady as the earth, a thousand suns burned in her bones. She was She-ra and Etheria itself bent to her will.

She-ra lifted the sword, pointing it at the spiders with their light-maddened eyes and their teeth gnashing with fear. It was fear. Adora knew them when she looked through She-ra’s eyes. She lowered the sword.

“Be calm.” Her voice rang out, and it felt eerily as if someone else was speaking. The spiders _flinched_ but they stilled one by one under her glowing gaze.

Her tone gentled. “Go in peace.”

The largest of the spider stilled, and as she watched the smaller spiders swarmed up onto her back. A mother and her young. The great creature trundled back into the hole, and all was still again.

“Adora?”

She turned and met Catra’s concerned gaze. She was scratched and bleeding, but very much alive. Her outstretched hand shot back without touching. Instead it was She-ra who closed the distance and carefully cupped the curve of Catra’s cheek. She was surprised that her ever-suspicious Catra allowed it.

Catra smiled with relief, one of her hands coming up to rest over She-ra’s larger hand. She-ra felt something tight in her chest relax. “Hey, Adora.”

Adora shrank back into herself... and crumbled like a log burned to ash. The last thing she felt was Catra catching her before she hit the ground.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I admit the raptors are what I imagine an 80’s/90’s-style Dino toy line would look like.
> 
> For those of you who celebrate, Merry Christmas!


	4. What Goes Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team finds out that flying an airship is a lot harder than they thought.

“Pull up, Kyle! Pull up!”

“I’m TRYING!”

The ship was flipping like a coin, the earth and sky rapidly switching places, and the only thing keeping Catra from flying off the ship was Adora’s arm so tight around her waist she could barely breathe. Everything else was just flashes: Kyle and Lonnie clinging to the wheel, gravity yanking their feet from the deck, Rogelio with his claws dug desperately into the railing. Catra swore to whatever higher power gave a shit: if she died because Kyle pushed the wrong button she was going to hunt him down in the afterlife.

As quickly as it started Catra crashed to the deck. Catra ached like she fell from the fucking sky, but at least the world slowly stopped spinning. She distantly heard someone puking. Kyle, definitely Kyle. She would know that whimper anywhere.

“Are we dead?”

“Don’t make me come over there, Catra. Do not.” So Lonnie was fine. Great.

“Sound off, guys. Everybody okay?” Adora’s question sounded very close. This was immediately confirmed when she pried Catra’s eyelids open one by one, shining a tiny, searing flashlight _directly into Catra’s eyeballs_. That earned her a well-deserved whack on the shoulder. The fact Adora reacted with a yelp and a loud complaint confirmed that she was probably totally fine. Adora's thick skull saved the day again.

After a long moment Catra finally steeled herself to climb out from between pieces of the deck. A stabbing feeling around her rib-like area drew a hiss out from between her teeth, but that’s all she allowed herself. It wasn't that bad, and honed instinct told her that they needed to keep moving.

“Well... I’m not dead.” Catra grumbled. Pain meant she was alive and she would take it any day over Shadow Weaver’s mind games. She glanced at Adora out of the corner of her eye, mentally cataloguing the other girl’s growing collection of bruises. Catra licked her thumb and reached over to rub a little smear of blood from Adora’s cheek. It left a line of pale skin in the grime. Catra yanked her hand away when she realized that Adora actually noticed that, and was staring her down with curious eyes. Like she wouldn't notice. Dumbass.

“I’m still here.” Lonnie chimed in, only barely sidestepping another round of puke from Kyle. “Kyle - ugh - Kyle too.”

Rogelio waved from the other end of the ship. He looked fine. Probably.

“How are we even alive?” The more Catra looked around the more the question needed asking. The back end of the cruiser was crushed, the thick metal mast snapped like a twig, and here they were sitting in the rubble alive. Then again unlike the real battle cruisers, the training ships had force dampeners to keep newbie pilots from dying. Did the others plan that, or was it just dumb luck?

“No clue, but we can’t afford to stay here.” Lonnie was already picking through the wreckage, tugging packs and canteens free from the tangle of wood and steel. Catra was going to go with dumb luck.

Adora nodded sharply, straightening. “Yeah, we have to get out of here. If the Horde catches up with us -” She cut herself off but no one needed her to say ‘we’ll be dead’ to know it was true. Catra still had nightmares about what happened to the last deserter she could remember. Calling it a punishment just didn’t feel like enough.

She wasn’t exactly the reflective type, but thinking of _that_ made Catra look over the four battered kids who probably saved her life. The thought rubbed her fur the wrong way. Catra was a master at spotting weaknesses, and there was no way she could miss the way that Lonnie’s hands stumbled over the knots as she worked to bundle supplies together. A deep, ugly bruise spiraled up the arm she used haul Adora onto the ship. Of all of them Lonnie was the mystery. Kyle was too _Kyle_ for the Horde, and despite his silent tough-guy image Rogelio was too soft to rise higher than cadet. Adora was... Adora.

Lonnie could only benefit from Shadow Weaver's star pupil disappearing into the woods. What drove Lonnie out here with a bunch of rejects? Sure they were roommates for as long as Catra could remember, but there were more fights between the two of them than anything else. They were uneasy allies at best. 

As if to underline that thought, Lonnie’s palm settled over the hand Catra had over her injured ribs, and _pressed._ The sharp pain made Catra’s vision white out for a moment.

“What the _shit_ Lonnie? That hurts!” She threw the hand off with a snarl.

“Yeah, just what I thought.” Lonnie’s mouth set in a line, and she knelt down to start tying a second pack to her own. “Roge’, you know what to do.”

Catra resisted literally every fiber of her being to not bite Rogelio as he scooped her up like she weighed nothing, and only just managed through her gritted teeth. “What. Are you doing.”

“No way you’re going to be able to climb around like that, Catra.” Adora jabbed a finger at the jungle surrounding them. Other than the hole their ship punched through the leaves above, it was a dense snarl of plant life. The part of her brain that loathed all this nature and the part that wanted to climb literally everything were locked in a bitter battle. Fortunately the point was moot at the moment.

“Ye - yeah,” said Kyle, interrupting her train of thought with his high, strained voice. “J - just let us help you… um, if you want.”

His thin face was pale as a ghost. Even across the ship Catra could see he was drooping under the weight of his pack. One of his arms was clutched to his chest, and Catra didn’t like that one bit. There was no way she was going to be babied more than that soggy earthworm.

“Shut up! I don’t need your help.” Catra hissed and twisted, felt her face twist into a snarl of pain but it was nothing to the fact that she had to be on solid ground and it had to be right now.

Thankfully Rogelio didn’t fight her on that. She stalked over to Kyle, grabbed him by the back of the shirt, and used what little strength she had left to fling him in the direction. Catra knew before he landed that she badly misjudged the force she needed. Rogelio’s tail shot up - startled - but he caught Kyle on reflex.

She bristled. Trying to look as big as she could, hoping a growl would suppress the wheeze in her voice. “If you’re gonna carry anybody pick the sap who needs it. I don’t. Got it?”

“Suit yourself.” Lonnie shrugged, sharing a tired glance with Adora. “Just don’t slow us down.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's only been a million years but here's the next chapter!

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Aggressive Neutrality](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16834135) by [treewhisker](https://archiveofourown.org/users/treewhisker/pseuds/treewhisker)




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